MAFAP delivers results of study on 16 high-potential commodities to Burkina Faso exports agency
The Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) programme has presented a new economic and policy analysis to the Burkinabe exports agency (APEX Burkina) in Ouagadougou on the agricultural commodities that have the most socioeconomic potential and therefore should be prioritized in exports policy and in public investment.
Burkina Faso’s main agricultural products exported are cashew nuts, shea seeds, sesame seeds, and fresh and dry mangoes.
However, following a request for policy support Agence pour la Promotion des Exportations du Burkina (APEX-Burkina), MAFAP was tasked with analysing the potential of 16 selected commodities previously chosen by the government, as part of wider efforts by the country to diversify its exports and trading partners to be less vulnerable to economic shocks and to boost inclusive agricultural development. Furthermore, the study underlined the potential of agricultural exports to better improve the country’s trade balance, which is currently experiencing a structural deficit together with inflation.
Against this backdrop, and after a review of the exports market and an economic analysis of the 16 chosen commodities, the MAFAP team grouped the products into 4 categories, based on their level of specialization in terms of production, and how they rate on trade:
· Group 1: Products with both high level of specialization and highly traded: Cotton, butter, shea seeds, and mango.
· Group 2: Products with a high level of specialization but low in terms of trade: Cashew nuts and vegetable oils.
· Group 3: Products with a low level of specialization but highly traded: meat, soya plants and plant foliage.
· Group 4: Products with a low level of specialization and low in terms of trade: Honey, tomatoes, skins and leather goods, onions, groundnuts and sunflower seeds.
The study also revealed that, compared to other countries, Burkina Faso’s exports are growing slower than its competitors for 10 out of the 16 commodities analysed, yet some products are performing very well in terms of exports. The study also recommends opening its exports to wider international markets, as almost three-quarters (72%) of its agricultural exports go to 6 countries, namely Singapore, Ghana, India, Togo, Denmark, and Viet Nam.
The results and recommendations of the study were well received in the workshop, which was held on 25 January 204 and attended by Mrs Rakieta Guigma, representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, including Mrs Assetou Yameogo of APEX-Burkina, as well as the FAO Representation in Burkina Faso represented by Ibrahim Ouedraogo, and are expected to inform the drafting of country’s new agricultural and livestock policy framework, Les états généraux de l’Agriculture et de l’Elevage, as well as the upcoming national export strategy.
The exports study, which is due to be published soon, is a part of MAFAP’s agrifood policy portfolio of work on policy prioritization. The programme is also providing policy analysis on the most pressing reforms for agricultural transformation, as well as on public expenditure on food and agriculture and on producer price incentives for key commodities. For more information on MAFAP’s work in Burkina Faso, visit the dedicated web page.
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